End of the Road
by Leejp

Comment by hotpasta:
the lens flare on the bottom is a distraction

Focus on Fruit
by Leejp

Comment by theSaj:
::: Critique Club ::: [The Saj]

First Impressions:

My first impressions with this photo was "wow...that's a cool shot". And I still think that to be the case. ;-)

BTW...I gave this photo a 7 in voting.

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Composition:

The composition is strong. Some might object to this photo being very centered, but I think it works in this case. Though you might also want to consider cropping off the top 1/2" and perhaps 2" from the left. This gives it a strong "rule-of-thirds" commitment and seems to make the orange stand out a bit more.

Subject:

Excellent subject. The orange is well placed and very distinct, the long leaf is a great addition (although I notice upon further inspection that I can see a reflection of this, which helps to answer my question about how this shot was composed. I presumed it is an orange set on a mirror with blue ceiling or sky above?)

Of note, the placement of the model's (namely, you the photographer) hand, was well placed, and well posed.

Technical (Colour, focus, and light):

Focus is sharp on the orange and nicely blurred on the photographer. Lighting is good but might be better. The left side of the photographer is a bit dark .

The focus also gives a very 3D feel allowing the orange to simply lift off the photo.

The colours are bright and cheery, with the background colors are a bit more subdued helping the background subjects to nicely fall into the background of the photo and not detract from the main subject.

Creativity: This was a fun photo. Creative, bright, and juicy. ;-)

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Summary: A fun photo with good clarity. Perhaps not the best entry category (I imagine it'd have done surprisingly well under "Fruit") but overall not a bad entry for the "shapes" challenge.

To improve?: Try a tight crop, remove a bit of the blue toward that top and most of the portion to the left of the photographer. A few minor distractions, namely the shoulders. On the left there is a dip and a rise again. This creates a distracting element. I also believe lowering your left elbow would have helped by reducing the appearance of the shoulder so as to provide more clear space. There are a few minor artifacts, the most noticeable of which is found on the photographer's hand as it holds the camera...was this reflection? I cannot tell...but it is very minor and expected in basic challenge entry.

You should feel good about this entry, it was a great endeavor!

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It is my hope that these insights are helpful, and constructive. If you have any questions regarding this critique, please feel free to PM me.

- Jason "The Saj"

Focus on Fruit
by Leejp

Comment by MochaNova1987:
thats cool with the use of the mirror, but it throughs me off a bit

Focus on Fruit
by Leejp

Comment by caba:
interesting idea, good color

Floating Lights
by Leejp

Comment by fotomann_forever:
***Greetings from Critique Club***

You have an interesting image that fits the challenge well here. I'd be interested in your comments on how you produced it.

Technically it's a good image. Focus is sharp, lighting and exposure are good and I like the warm orange tones.

A few ponters:
The photo is a little small. You can post images here at up to 640 pixels on its longest side. Might as well take advantage of this.

I'd like to see the black area at the bottom of the image cropped. This black space catches my eye a little too much and distracts me from the rest of the image, which is quite good.

Lastly, take a few moments when you submit to enter Photographer's notes and camera settings. It helps us to see what you're doing and helps us make better critiques of your work.

Good work though, welcome to DPC. Not a bad finish on your first challenge.

Take care,
Leroy

Focus on Fruit
by Leejp

Comment by CNovack:
I like how you have taken the approach to shot a picture from a different angle. Changing position/angle can add dramatic interest. This composition has that but there is elements that can be improved upon to make this shot great. First is that I think the composition would be improved if the photographer had moved such that we see more of the camera and photographer that is hidden by the orange. The circular shape of the lens would greatly compliment the circular shape of the orange and further strengthen the connection to the Shapes Challenge. Also, if you can, addusting the aperature down to the highest settings say 8-16 will greatly improve the depth of field. The background will be in sharper focus which would therefore give us a sharper image of the photographer and his camera in the background. Lastly, I think the leaf on the orange is a distracting element - especially when we can see the reflection of it on the mirror.

Focus on Fruit
by Leejp

Comment by msieglerfr:
To my mind, the reflection is rather disturbing. 5

Focus on Fruit
by Leejp

Comment by joycobb:
One of my favorites so far. I'm scoring this a 10. I hope you didn't use any Photoshop tricks, because I'd hate to see it get DQ'ed. Maybe the orange was placed on glass? Very cool.

Floating Lights
by Leejp

Comment by Sinky:
Nice picture...but why so small?

Floating Lights
by Leejp

Comment by obsidian:
another stunner and another favourite - blissful